Download User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature

TEST REPORT
OCTOBER 2010
User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface
temperature of Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
Executive
summary
®
Acer commissioned Principled Technologies (PT) to
measure and compare the performance, battery life,
®
and surface temperature of the Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS U45Jc notebook
®
systems. Both systems contained an Intel Core™ i5
®
Processor 450M 2.40GHz and ran the Microsoft
®
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system.
KEY FINDINGS


Acer provided the test systems. PT set up the
systems and executed all tests.
We measured system performance using the
following industry-standard benchmarks:
®
®
 Futuremark PCMark Vantage v1.0.2.0
®
 Futuremark 3DMark 06 v1.2.0
 Futuremark 3DMark Vantage v1.0.2
We then measured the battery life of the systems
®
®
using the BAPCo MobileMark 2007 v1.06
Productivity 2007 test.

The Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG achieved the
following performance increases over the ASUS
U45Jc: 2.0% faster PCMark Vantage
performance, 120.5% faster 3DMark06
performance, and 236.2% faster 3DMark Vantage
performance. (See Figure 1.)
The Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG produced a
battery life score of 8 hours 22 minutes on the
MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007 test, 7.6%
less than the ASUS U45Jc’s score of 9 hours 3
minutes. (See Figure 2.)
On the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG, surface
temperatures of key spots ranged from 7.3 to 10.1
degrees above ambient temperature while idle,*
and from 4.7 to 11.9 degrees above ambient
temperature while running Prime95. On the ASUS
U45Jc, surface temperatures of key spots ranged
from 3.6 to 8.7 degrees above ambient
temperature while idle,* and from 1.7 to 14.9
degrees above ambient temperature while running
Prime95. (See Figures 3, 4, 7, and 8.)
We conducted a custom test using a thermal imaging
camera and surface temperature probe to determine
the surface temperature (in Celsius) of the notebook systems in key spots that affect the user’s comfort while
working on the system. We tested the temperature of the systems while they were running four different
workloads: idle, a video file, a Prime95, and 3DMark06. Note that, for all thermal tests, we ran two Internet
®
®
®
Explorer browser windows—one open to the MSN homepage and one open to the Yahoo homepage—in the
background.
Futuremark performance
14,000
12,000
Acer
Aspire
TimelineX
4820TG
ASUS
U45Jc
Score
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
As Figure 1 shows, the Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG notebook produced
the following median scores: a PCMark
Vantage score of 5,798, 2.0 percent
faster than the ASUS U45Jc
notebook’s score of 5,687; a 3DMark06
score of 7,498, 120.5 percent faster
than the ASUS U45Jc notebook’s
score of 3,401; and a 3DMark Vantage
score of 3,466, 236.2 percent faster
than the ASUS U45Jc notebook’s
score of 1,031.
0
Futuremark Futuremark Futuremark
PCMark
3DMark06
3DMark
Vantage
Vantage
Figure 1: Performance scores for the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS
U45Jc notebooks. Higher scores are better.
________________________________________________________________________________
*During all thermal testing, including idle, each notebook had two Internet Explorer sessions open.
BAPCo MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007
results
600
Acer
Aspire
TimelineX
4820TG
Score
500
400
300
ASUS
U45Jc
200
100
0
Battery Life score
Performance
Qualification score
Figure 2: MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007 Battery Life score and Performance
Qualification score for the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS U45Jc
notebook systems. Higher scores are better.
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
30.0
32.0
29.8
31.7
33.2
33.6
31.7
32.9
29.7
28.0
Figure 3: Surface temperature results for the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and
ASUS U45Jc notebook systems while idle. Lower numbers are better.
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
34.5
As Figure 2 shows, the Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG notebook system
produced a battery life score of 502
minutes (8 hours 22 minutes) on the
MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007
test, 7.6 percent less time than the
ASUS U45Jc notebook’s score of
543 minutes (9 hours 3 minutes).
The Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
notebook produced a median
MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007
performance qualification score of
216, 5.1 percent slower than the
ASUS U45Jc notebook’s score of
227.
Figures 3 through 10 show the
thermal images of each
notebook during thermal testing.
During all thermal testing, including
idle, each notebook had two Internet
Explorer sessions open.
Figure 3 shows the surface
temperatures of the Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS U45Jc
while idle. The ambient temperature
in our labs when both systems were
idle was 24.4 degrees. The Acer
Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
temperatures ranged from 31.7 to
33.6 degrees, 7.3 to 9.2 degrees
above the ambient temperature,
while the ASUS U45Jc temperatures
ranged from 28.0 to 32.9 degrees,
3.6 to 8.5 degrees above ambient
temperature.
ASUS U45Jc
33.1
Figure 4 shows the underside
surface temperatures of the Acer
Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS
U45Jc while idle. The Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG’s temperature
was 34.5 degrees, 10.1 degrees
above the ambient temperature of
24.4 degrees, while the ASUS
U45Jc’s temperature was 33.1
degrees, 8.7 degrees above the
ambient temperature of 24.4
degrees.
Figure 4: Underside surface temperature results for the Acer Aspire TimelineX
4820TG and ASUS U45Jc notebook systems while idle. Lower numbers are better.
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
2
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
35.0
ASUS U45Jc
36.5
32.8
32.6
32.4
33.2
31.9
29.7
36.6
27.2
Figure 5: Surface temperature results for the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and
ASUS U45Jc notebooks while playing a video file. Lower numbers are better.
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
38.1
37.0
Figure 6: Underside surface temperature results for the Acer Aspire TimelineX
4820TG and ASUS U45Jc notebook while playing a video file. Lower numbers are
better.
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
36.2
34.0
32.4
33.3
29.3
Figure 6 shows the underside
surface temperatures of the Acer
Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS
U45Jc while playing an .MP4 file with
Windows Media Center. The Acer
Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
temperature was 38.1 degrees, 14.1
degrees above the ambient
temperature of 24.0 degrees, while
the ASUS U45Jc temperature was
37.0 degrees, 13.0 degrees above
the ambient temperature of 24.0
degrees.
ASUS U45Jc
34.9
35.9
Figure 5 shows the surface
temperatures of the Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS U45Jc
while playing an .MP4 file with
Windows Media Center. The ambient
temperature in our labs was 24.0
degrees. The Acer Aspire TimelineX
4820TG temperatures ranged from
29.7 to 35.0 degrees, 5.7 to 11.0
degrees above ambient temperature,
while the ASUS U45Jc temperatures
ranged from 27.2 to 36.6 degrees,
3.2 to 12.6 degrees above ambient
temperature.
29.5
34.1
26.4
Figure 7: Surface temperature results for the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and
ASUS U45Jc notebooks while running Prime95. Lower numbers are better.
Figure 7 shows the surface
temperatures of the Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS U45Jc
while running Prime95. For the Acer
Aspire TimelineX 4820TG, the
ambient temperature in our labs was
24.6 degrees. The Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG temperatures
ranged from 29.3 to 36.2 degrees,
4.7 to 11.6 degrees above ambient
temperature. For the ASUS U45J,
the ambient temperature in our labs
was 24.7 degrees. The ASUS U45Jc
temperatures ranged from 26.4 to
34.9 degrees, 1.7 to 10.2 degrees
above ambient temperature.
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
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Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
36.5
Figure 8 shows the underside
surface temperatures of the Acer
Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS
U45Jc while running Prime95. The
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
temperature was 36.5 degrees, 11.9
degrees above the ambient
temperature of 24.6 degrees. The
ASUS U45Jc temperature was 39.6
degrees, 14.9 degrees above the
ambient temperature of 24.7
degrees.
39.6
Figure 8: Underside surface temperature results for the Acer Aspire TimelineX
4820TG and ASUS U45Jc notebooks while running Prime95. Lower numbers are
better.
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
39.0
ASUS U45Jc
39.4
37.2
33.6
34.0
30.0
35.0
30.8
36.4
26.9
Figure 9: Surface temperature results for the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and
ASUS U45Jc notebooks while running 3DMark06. Lower numbers are better.
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
Figure 9 shows the surface
temperatures of the Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS U45Jc
while running 3DMark06. For the
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG, the
ambient temperature in our labs was
24.7 degrees. The Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG temperatures
ranged from 30.0 to 39.0 degrees,
5.3 to 14.3 degrees above ambient
temperature. For the ASUS U45J,
the ambient temperature in our labs
was 25.3 degrees. The ASUS U45Jc
temperatures ranged from 26.9 to
39.4 degrees, 1.6 to 14.1 degrees
above ambient temperature.
ASUS U45Jc
42.7
44.7
Figure 10 shows the underside
surface temperatures of the Acer
Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS
U45Jc while running 3DMark06. The
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
temperature was 42.7 degrees, 18.0
degrees above the ambient
temperature of 24.7 degrees. The
ASUS U45Jc temperature was 44.7
degrees, 19.4 degrees above the
ambient temperature of 25.3
degrees.
Figure 10: Underside surface temperature results for the Acer Aspire TimelineX
4820TG and ASUS U45Jc notebooks while running 3DMark06. Lower numbers are
better.
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
4
Figure 11 shows the temperature difference, in degrees Celsius, between the ambient temperature and the
surface temperature we recorded and present in the thermal images (Figures 3 through 10). Note that palm rest
L-R results only report the temperature difference between the left and right palm rest. For all results, lower
temperatures are better. During all thermal testing, including idle, each notebook had two Internet Explorer
sessions open.
Notebook system
Test
Ambient temperature
Fan outlet area
Keyboard cover rest
Palm rest L (Point A)
Palm rest R (Point B)
Palm rest L-R
Touch pad
Underside
Test
Ambient temperature
Fan outlet area
Keyboard cover rest
Palm rest L (Point A)
Palm rest R (Point B)
Palm rest L-R
Touch pad
Underside
Test
Ambient temperature
Fan outlet area
Keyboard cover rest
Palm rest L (Point A)
Palm rest R (Point B)
Palm rest L-R
Touch pad
Underside
Test
Ambient temperature
Fan outlet area
Keyboard cover rest
Palm rest L (Point A)
Palm rest R (Point B)
Palm rest L-R
Touch pad
Underside
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
Idle + MSN + Yahoo
24.4°C
24.4°C
∆T=7.6
∆T=5.6
∆T=7.3
∆T=5.4
∆T=9.2
∆T=5.3
∆T=7.3
∆T=3.6
∆T=1.9
∆T=1.7
∆T=8.8
∆T=8.5
∆T=10.1
∆T=8.7
Playing a video file + MSN + Yahoo
24.0°C
24.0°C
∆T=11.0
∆T=12.5
∆T=8.6
∆T=8.8
∆T=8.4
∆T=7.9
∆T=5.7
∆T=3.2
∆T=2.7
∆T=4.7
∆T=9.2
∆T=12.6
∆T=14.1
∆T=13.0
Running Prime95 + MSN + Yahoo
24.6°C
24.7°C
∆T=11.6
∆T=10.2
∆T=11.3
∆T=8.6
∆T=9.4
∆T=4.8
∆T=4.7
∆T=1.7
∆T=4.7
∆T=3.1
∆T=7.8
∆T=9.4
∆T=11.9
∆T=14.9
Running 3DMark06 + MSN + Yahoo
24.7°C
25.3°C
∆T=14.3
∆T=14.1
∆T=12.5
∆T=9.7
∆T=8.9
∆T=5.5
∆T=5.3
∆T=1.6
∆T=3.6
∆T=3.9
∆T=9.3
∆T=11.1
∆T=18.0
∆T=19.4
Figure 11: Detailed surface temperature results for each notebook system in each test. Lower temperatures are better.
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
5
Figure 12 presents the system dimensions, in inches, for the two notebook systems. To measure the height of
each notebook, we used a tape measure and measured along the front, middle, and back side of each notebook.
When measuring an open notebook, we opened the screen so that it was straight at a 90-degree angle.
Notebook system dimensions
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
Length (inches)
13-1/2
13-1/4
Width (inches)
9-5/8
9-5/8
Height when closed (inches)
1 front, 1-3/16 middle, 1-1/4 back
1-3/32 front, 1-3/16 middle, 1-1/4 back
Height when open (inches)
3/4 front, 7/8 middle, 9-7/8 back
7/8 front, 15/16 middle, 10 back
Figure 12: System dimensions for the two notebook systems.
The Workloads section provides details on the benchmarks we used. The Test results section and Appendix A
show the test results in more detail. The Test methodology section explains how we ran the tests. Appendix C
details the system configurations.
Workloads
Futuremark PCMark Vantage v1.0.2.0
Futuremark’s PCMark Vantage v1.0.2.0 benchmark suite tests system CPU and GPU performance, RAM speeds,
and hard drive read/write speeds. The benchmark runs common tasks such as video playback, audio and video
transcoding, data encryption, Windows mail, game testing, and Web page rendering. For more information on this
benchmark, see
http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/pcmarkvantage/introduction/.
Futuremark 3DMark06 v1.2.0
®
Futuremark’s 3DMark06 v1.2.0. benchmark suite tests system GPU DirectX 9 performance and CPU workload
processing performance, primarily to report a system’s 3D gaming capability. Tests include HDR rendering,
shadow mapping, and pixel shading. For more information on this benchmark, see
http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/3dmark06/introduction/.
Futuremark 3DMark Vantage v1.0.2
Futuremark’s 3DMark Vantage v1.0.2 benchmark suite tests system GPU DirectX10 performance, and requires
either Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7. 3DMark Vantage v1.0.2 includes testing of GPU-powered physics,
DirectX10-specific features, and procedural volumetric effects. Like 3DMark06 v1.2.0, 3DMark Vantage v1.0.2
provides an indication of a system’s 3D gaming capability. For more information on this benchmark, see
http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/3dmarkvantage/introduction/.
BAPCo MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007
Our goal was to see how long the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG notebook battery would last running BAPCo’s
MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007 battery-life benchmark test compared to the ASUS U45Jc.
MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007 is an industry-standard benchmark that provides a battery life rating and a
performance rating based on common office scenarios. In our tests, we focus solely on the battery life rating.
MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007 includes applications and workloads specific to mobile systems. These
include office activities like file and document management, data processing, and rich content creation. This
module provides a score for battery life of the tested applications.
MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007 includes the following applications with their corresponding tasks:
 Microsoft Project 2003 (project management)
®
 Microsoft Excel 2003 (calculation sheets)
®
 Microsoft Outlook 2003 (emails, calendars, scheduler)
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
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





®
Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 (slide presentations)
®
Microsoft Word 2003 (formatted text documents)
®
WinZip Computing and WinZip Pro 10.0 (compressed archives)
®
®
Adobe Photoshop CS2 (manipulated and compressed images)
®
Adobe Illustrator CS2 (manipulated images)
®
Adobe Flash 8 (vector graphics, animation)
MobileMark 2007 measures system battery life in minutes. MobileMark 2007 records system battery life at the
start of the Productivity 2007 benchmark. It repeats the benchmark workload until the system battery life depletes,
or until the system powers down due to low battery life. At the 7 percent battery life setting,
MobileMark 2007 records a timestamp once per minute. At the end of the benchmark, it compares the beginning
timestamp to the final (last recorded) timestamp. MobileMark 2007 derives its system battery life rating as the
number of minutes between the start and end timestamps.
We followed the run rules that BAPCo specifies for MobileMark 2007 here:
http://www.bapco.com/support/mobilemark2007/Manual/rules.html.
For more information on this benchmark, see http://www.bapco.com/products/mobilemark2007/.
Custom thermal test
We measured the temperature of the notebook systems in key spots that affect the user’s comfort while working
on the system. See the Test methodology section for more information on how we did so, and Appendix B for the
schematic of the notebooks we used to show the key spots we tested.
Test results
Figure 13 presents the median scores for the notebook systems on the benchmark tests we performed. Higher
scores are better. We conducted three runs. For Futuremark PCMark Vantage, we used the median of the
PCMark Suite scores to determine the sub-scores. For Futuremark 3DMark06 and 3DMark Vantage, we used the
median of the 3DMark Scores to determine the sub-scores. For BAPCo MobileMark 2007, we used the median of
the Battery Life scores to determine the Performance Qualification score. For BAPCo MobileMark 2007
Productivity 2007, we conducted one conditioning run. We then conducted three official runs. (Complete test
results appear in Appendix A.)
Test
Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG
Futuremark PCMark Vantage 1.0.2.0
PCMark Suite
Memories Suite
TV and Movies Suite
Gaming Suite
Music Suite
Communication Suite
Productivity Suite
HDD Test Suite
Futuremark 3DMark06 1.2.0
3D Mark Score
SM2.0 Score
HDR/SM3.0 Score
CPU Score
Futuremark 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2 run in Performance Level mode
3DMark Score
GPU Score
ASUS
U45Jc
5,798
4,045
3,646
5,140
5,303
4,602
4,583
3,272
5,687
3,185
3,694
3,311
6,112
4,796
5,126
4,190
7,498
2,712
3,364
2,798
3,401
1,287
1,221
2,612
3,466
2,939
1,031
801
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
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Acer Aspire
TimelineX 4820TG
CPU Score
7,485
Futuremark 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2 Performance Level with Post Processing disabled
9,338
GPU Score
BAPCo MobileMark 2007 v1.06 Productivity 2007
(61 nits)
MobileMark 2007 - Productivity - Performance Qualification score
216
MobileMark 2007 - Productivity - Battery Life score (minutes)
502
Test
ASUS
U45Jc
7,396
3,011
(63 nits)
227
543
Figure 13: Median benchmark scores for the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS U45Jc notebook systems we tested. Higher
scores are better.
Test methodology
This section details the methodologies we followed in testing the systems. The Super Hybrid Engine is a
technology created by ASUS. It gives users the ability to adjust the clock and bus speed to increase performance
and extend battery life. The Super Hybrid Engine automatically manages and regulates power distribution based
on usage requirements. We had this feature disabled, the default setting, in our testing.
Measuring disk performance with PCMark Vantage 1.0.2.0
Installing and patching PCMark Vantage
1. Download the PCMark_Vantage_v100_installer.exe Windows package from
www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/pcmarkvantage/download/.
2. Install PCMark Vantage 1.0.0 with the default options by double-clicking the
PCMark_Vantage_v100_installer.exe file.
3. At the Welcome screen, click Next.
4. At the License Agreement window, click I accept the terms of the license agreement, and click Next.
5. At the Setup Type window, click Express, and click Next.
6. At the Ready to Install the Program window, click Install.
7. When the PCMark Vantage Read Me page opens in your web browser, review the document, and click
Close when you are finished.
8. At the InstallShield Wizard complete screen, click Finish.
9. Launch PCMark Vantage 1.0.0 by clicking on the PCMark Vantage x64 desktop icon. Enter the
registration code, click Register, and click OK.
10. Exit PCMark Vantage 1.0.0.
11. Download the PCMark Vantage 1.0.2.0 Patch (PCMark_Vantage_v102_patch_1901.exe Windows
package) from www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/pcmarkvantage/download/.
12. Install the patch by double-clicking the PCMark_Vantage_v102_patch_1901.exe file.
13. At the Welcome screen, click Next.
14. At the Update Complete screen, click Finish.
Running PCMark Vantage 1.0.2.0
1. Reboot the system, and wait 2 minutes.
2. Double-click the PCMark Vantage desktop icon to launch the benchmark.
3. Verify all test suites are selected, and that the HDD Suite target is set to C:.
4. Accept the default settings, and click Run Benchmark.
5. When the benchmark run completes, click Submit results.
6. Take a screenshot of the results, and record them as follows:
 PCMark Suite
 Memories Suite
 TV and Movies Suite
 Gaming Suite
 Music Suite
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
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 Communication Suite
 Productivity Suite
 HDD Test Suite
7. Perform steps 1 through 6 two more times, and report the median of the three runs.
Measuring graphics performance with 3DMark06 1.2.0
Installing and patching 3DMark06
1. Download the 3DMark06_v120_1901.exe package from
http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/3dmarkvantage/download/.
2. Install 3DMark06 1.2.0 with the default options by double-clicking the 3DMark06_v120_1901.exe file.
3. At the Welcome screen, click Next.
4. At the License Agreement screen, click the I accept the terms of the license agreement radio button, and
click Next.
5. At the Installation Destination screen, accept default destination by clicking Next.
6. At the Begin installation screen, click Install.
7. When the Question pop-up appears, click Yes.
8. At the Installing Microsoft DirectX pop-up, click the I accept the agreement radio button, and click Next.
9. At the DirectX Setup screen, click Next.
10. At the Installation Complete screen, click Finish.
11. At the OpenAL Installer screen, click OK.
12. At the OpenAL Installer message pop-up, click OK.
13. At the Futuremark Registration screen, enter the registration code, and click Next.
14. At the InstallShield Wizard Complete screen, click Finish.
15. When the 3DMark06 Read Me page appears in your Web browser, review the document, and click Close
when you are finished.
Running 3DMark06 1.2.0
1. Reboot the system and wait 2 minutes.
2. Double-click the 3DMark06 desktop icon to launch the benchmark.
3. Close the Tip of the Day pop-up.
4. Click Select… under Tests, and click Select all. Click OK.
5. Accept the default settings, and click Run 3DMark.
6. When the benchmark run completes, click To Excel, and safe the results as an Excel file by clicking Save.
7. Record the results from the 3DMark Score window or the Excel file as follows:
 3D Mark Score
 SM2.0 Score
 HDR/SM3.0 Score
 CPU Score
8. Perform steps 1 through 7 two more times, and report the median of the three runs.
Measuring graphics performance with 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2
Installing and patching 3DMark Vantage
1. In order to run the default Performance test it is necessary to connect the notebooks to an external
monitor that supports a resolution of 1,280 x 1,024.
2. Download the 3DMark_Vantage_v100_installer.exe Windows package from
http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/3dmarkvantage/download/.
3. Install 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2 with the default options by double-clicking the
3DMark_Vantage_v102_1901.exe file.
4. At the Welcome screen, click Next.
5. At the License Agreement screen, click I accept the terms of the license agreement, and click Next.
6. At the Setup Type screen, click Express, and click Next.
7. At the Ready to Install the Program screen, click Install.
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
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8. When the 3DMark Vantage Read Me page appears in your Web browser, review the document, and click
Close when you are finished.
9. At the Setup Complete screen, click Finish.
10. Launch 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2 by double-clicking on the 3DMark Vantage desktop icon. Enter the
registration code, and click Register.
11. Exit 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2.
Running 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2
For Performance-level results:
1. Reboot the system, and wait 2 minutes.
2. Double-click the 3DMark Vantage desktop icon to launch the benchmark.
3. In the 3DMark Vantage Main section, click the Preset drop-down menu arrow, and select Performance.
4. Click the Options tab, then click the Graphic Tests tab, and ensure that you select both tests.
5. Click the CPU Tests tab, and ensure that you select both tests.
6. Click the Feature Tests tab, and deselect all six tests by clicking the check mark by each title.
7. Click Run Benchmark.
8. When the benchmark run completes, click Submit results.
9. Take a screenshot of the results, and record them as follows:
 3DMark Score
 GPU Score
 CPU Score
10. Perform steps 1 through 9 two more times, and report the median of the three runs.
Measuring battery life with MobileMark 2007
Antivirus software conflicts
MobileMark 2007 is not compatible with any virus-scanning software, so we uninstalled any such software present
on the notebooks before we installed the benchmark.
Pre-installed software conflicts
MobileMark 2007 installs the following applications, which its test scripts employ:

Adobe Photoshop 6.0.1
®

InterVideo WinDVD 6.0
®
®

Macromedia Flash 5.0

Microsoft Excel 2002

Microsoft Outlook 2002

Microsoft PowerPoint 2002

Microsoft Word 2002
®

Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable
®

Netscape Communicator 6.01
®
®

Network Associates McAfee VirusScan 5.13

WinZip Computing WinZip 8.0
If any of these applications are already on the system under test, they could cause problems with the benchmark
due to software conflicts. To avoid any such issues, before we installed the benchmark, we uninstalled all
conflicting pre-installed software applications, including different versions of any of the programs MobileMark
2007 uses.
Display brightness and power settings
The brightness of a notebook’s display affects its battery life. Therefore, BAPCo requires that, before you test with
MobileMark 2007, you make sure the brightness of the notebook’s monitor is greater than or equal to 60 nits on a
completely white screen while the notebook is unplugged and running on battery power. The measurement
follows the standards from the Video Electronics Standards Association
(www.vesa.org/Standards/summary/2001_6a.htm).
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We complied with this standard for all the tests we ran by setting the notebooks’ brightness as close to 60 nits as
we could without going below that brightness level. We used the following procedure before we started each test.
Note: This procedure assumes we began with the notebook plugged into the power supply.
1. To create a completely blank, white screen, open Microsoft Paint by clicking StartAll
ProgramsAccessoriesPaint.
2. Open the Attributes by pressing Ctrl+E.
3. Enter dimensions that are larger than the current screen resolution. For example, if the screen resolution
is 1,280 x 800, type 1600 for Width and 1200 for Height.
4. Click OK.
5. Press Ctrl+F to view the bitmap image and render the screen totally white.
6. Wait 45 minutes to allow the screen to warm.
7. Unplug the notebook from the power supply, and measure the display’s brightness using a luminance
meter in the center of the screen. (We used the Gossen Mavolux 5032 C.)
8. If the reading is below or significantly greater than 60 nits, use the notebook’s keyboard screenbrightness-adjustment keys to bring the display as close to 60 nits as possible, then retest.
9. Allow the notebook to run on battery power for 10 minutes, re-measure the display, and adjust the
brightness up or down as necessary.
10. Verify that the notebook saved the brightness setting by plugging in the system, unplugging it, and taking
another reading.
Note: If the notebook did not save this setting, use its power-management application(s) to set the
brightness appropriately, and save that setting. If saving the settings is ineffective, use the keyboard
brightness setting keys to adjust the screen to bring the display as close to 60 nits as possible. Next, note
how many times you pressed the button to achieve the desired brightness. After unplugging the system
under test, use the keyboard to set the desired brightness by pressing the brightness button as many
times as you previously noted to return the screen to the correct brightness level.
BAPCo AutoConfig Tool v2.4.1
This tool supports three levels of configuration:
1 . Only makes changes that are REQUIRED in order for the benchmark to run.
2 . Additionally, makes changes that are RECOMMENDED for repeatable results.
3 . Additionally, makes changes that help ensure best results.
We chose Level 3 in the AutoConfig tool.
The BAPCo AutoConfig tool makes the following configuration changes at each of the three levels:
Level 1—Required
 Creates and activates a new power scheme that it names MobileMark 2007
 Disables hibernate, standby, and display standby
 Sets hard drive timeout and CPU power management
Note: See the following Power schemes section for details on this scheme
 Disables Screen Saver
 Disables Windows Update
 Disables Desktop Cleanup Wizard
 Disables User Account Control (UAC)
 Disables Sidebar
Level 2—Recommended
 Completes Level 1
 Disables Windows Security Center warning messages
 Disables Windows Firewall
 Disables incoming Remote Desktop connections
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

Disables Windows Error Reporting to Microsoft
Prevents the Welcome Center from running at startup
Level 3—Best scores
 Completes Level 1 and Level 2
 Disables Windows Defender
Power schemes
The BAPCo AutoConfig tool creates a MobileMark 2007 power scheme, which makes the following power option
changes:
a . Additional settings:
 Require a password on wakeup: No
b . Hard disk:
 Turn off hard disk after: 3 minutes
c . Wireless adapter settings:
 Power Saving Mode: Maximum Power Saving
d . Sleep:
 Sleep after: Never
e . USB settings:
 USB selective suspend setting: Enabled
f . Power buttons and lid:
 Lid close action: Do nothing
 Power button action: Shut down
 Sleep button action: Sleep
 Start menu power button: Shut down
g . PCI Express:
 Link State Power Management: Maximum power savings
h . Processor power management:
 Minimum processor state: 5%
 Maximum processor state: 100%
i . Search and Indexing:
 Power Savings Mode: Power Saver
j . Display:
 Turn off display after: Never
 Adaptive display: Off (Extends the time that Windows waits to turn off the display)
 Display brightness: 100% (We then adjust the brightness percentage to be no less than 60 nits)
k . Multimedia settings:
 When sharing media: Prevent idling to sleep
l . Battery:
 Critical battery action: Shut down (on battery), Do nothing (plugged in)
 Low battery level: 0%
 Critical battery level: 0%
 Low battery notification: Off
 Low battery action: Do nothing
Installing MobileMark 2007 v.1.06 and configuring the system for testing
1. Turn off the wireless network adapter by using the external toggle switch.
2. Insert the MobileMark 2007 Install DVD in the notebook’s DVD drive.
3. When the Autoplay appears, click Run setup.exe.
4. At the Welcome screen, click Next.
5. Accept the license agreement, and click Next.
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6. At the Choose Destination Location screen, accept the default location of C:\ProgramFiles
(x86)\BapCo\MobileMark 2007, and click Next.
7. At the Ready to Install the Program screen, click Install.
8. At the InstallShield Wizard Complete screen, click Finish.
9. Download MobileMark 2007 Patch 5 from http://www.bapco.com/support, saving the download to the
desktop.
10. Double-click the MobileMark 20007 Patch 5 desktop icon.
11. In the 7-Zip self-extracting archive window, select a location to extract the installation files, and click
Extract.
12. Browse to the location of the extracted files, and double-click the MobileMark 2007 folder.
13. Double-click the MobileMark2007_patch folder.
14. Double-click setup.
15. At the Welcome screen, click Next.
16. At the Update Complete window, click Finish.
17. Run the BAPCo Auto-configuration tool, v.2.4.1, or manually set the power options:
a. Insert the Auto-configuration tool disc in the notebook’s DVD drive.
b. Double-click BAPCo_AutoConfig.bat.
c. Type M to choose MobileMark 2007.
d. Type 3 to choose the changes that produce the best possible scores.
e. Type R to restart the system when the application prompts you to do so.
18. Adjust the screen brightness to no less than 60 nits:
a. Click the Windows start button, and type power options in the Windows Start Search box.
b. Click Change plan settings.
c. Click Change advanced power settings.
d. Expand the Display option, and change the Display brightness on battery and plugged in to the
correct percentage that produces no less than 60 nits.
Note: If you are unable to save these settings, please see the Displaying Brightness section above.
19. Disable automatic disk defragmentation:
a. Click the Windows start button, type disk defragmenter in the Windows Start Search box, and
press Enter.
b. Click Configure Schedule.
c. Uncheck the box next to Run on a schedule, and click OK.
d. Click Close.
20. Disable System Protection:
a. Click the Windows start button, and type System in the Windows Start Search box. In the search
results that appear, click System under the Control Panel heading.
b. Click System Protection in the left pane.
c. In the System Properties window under the System Protection tab, click the first Available Drive under
the Protection Settings heading, and click Configure.
d. Click the Turn off system protection radio button, and click OK.
e. When prompted with Are you sure you want to turn off system protection on this drive?, click Yes.
f. Repeat steps c through e for any other Available Drives as necessary.
g. Click OK, and close the System window.
21. Disable Windows Desktop Search indexing:
a. Click the Windows start button, type Indexing Options in the Windows Start Search box, and
press Enter.
b. Click Modify.
c. Under Change selected locations, uncheck the boxes next to each indexed location, and click OK.
d. Click Close.
22. Defragment the hard drive(s):
a. Click the Windows start button, type disk defragmenter in the Windows Start Search box, and
press Enter.
b. Highlight the local disk drive under Current status, and click Defragment disk.
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c.
When the process is complete, click Close.
Conditioning the battery
1. Plug the AC power adapter into the notebook, and completely charge the battery.
2. Install MobileMark 2007 v1.06, following the steps we outlined in the Installing MobileMark 2007 section
earlier in this section.
3. Double-click the MobileMark 2007 icon on the desktop.
4. Highlight the Productivity 2007 item in the left panel.
5. Type System Conditioning as the name for this test in the Project Name field in the top-right panel,
and click Next Step.
6. If MobileMark 2007 lists no problems or warnings, click Next Step. If it does list any problems or warnings,
close MobileMark 2007, and correct the problem(s) before proceeding.
7. After the benchmark integrity check, click Next in the Preparing a new test window.
8. When the benchmark prompts you, unplug the AC power adapter. The Productivity 2007 test begins
immediately.
9. The test is complete when the notebook has fully depleted its battery and is no longer operational when
running on battery power.
10. Plug the AC power adapter into the notebook, and completely charge the battery.
Measuring battery life with MobileMark 2007 v.1.06
We performed the following steps to run the MobileMark Productivity 2007 benchmark:
1. Double-click the MobileMark 2007 icon on the desktop.
2. Select the Productivity 2007 test by highlighting it in the left panel.
3. Enter a name for this test in the Project Name field in the top right panel, and click Next Step.
4. If MobileMark 2007 lists no problems or warnings, click Next. If it does list any problems or warnings,
close MobileMark 2007, and correct the problem(s) before proceeding.
5. After the benchmark integrity check, click Next in the Preparing a new test window.
6. When prompted, unplug the AC power adapter. The test begins immediately.
7. The Productivity 2007 test is complete when the notebook has fully depleted its battery and is no longer
operational when running on battery power.
We executed the MobileMark Productivity 2007 test three times on the system and took the median battery life
run as the representative score for that test.
Getting the MobileMark 2007 results
After each MobileMark Productivity 2007 test completed, we plugged the AC power adapter into the notebook and
turned on the system. MobileMark 2007 started automatically after the system booted, analyzed the test scores,
and opened the Test Results Viewer with the results from the last test.
To submit these results to BAPCo, we saved the test results directory by performing the following steps:
1. Browse to the C:\ Program Files (x86)\BAPCo\MobileMark 2007\results directory.
2. Select My Computer.
3. Select Local Disk (C:).
4. Select the Program Files directory.
5. Select the BAPCo directory.
6. Select the MobileMark2007 directory.
7. Select the results directory. (Note: The name of the directory for the Productivity 2007 results is the name
you gave the test in Step 3 of the MobileMark Productivity 2007 process.)
Measuring surface temperatures with the thermal test
This test measures the surface heat of key areas of the notebook computers after 2 hours of running benchmarks,
stress tests, or a local MPEG4 file, with a browser launched in the background. The test requires a wireless
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®
®
o
network connection and a Digi Watchport sensor to ensure a consistent ambient temperature between 24 C
o
and 26 C.
Setting up the notebook
1. Install GIMPS Prime95 torture test software:
a. Download the Prime95 v.2511 64-bit zip file from http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft/.
b. Unzip the p64v2511.zip file to the desktop.
c. Create a desktop shortcut to the Prime95.exe.
2. Install Futuremark’s 3DMark06 software as detailed earlier in this section.
3. Note and leave the default power settings.
4. Set the display brightness to 100 percent:
a. Click Start.
b. In the Start menu’s quick search field, type Power Options.
c. Move the Screen brightness slider all the way to the right.
5. Set the remaining power plan settings as follows:

Dim the display: Never

Turn off the display: Never

Put the computer to sleep: Never
6. Disable the screen saver.
7. Verify the wireless network card is enabled and that the radio is turned on, by either a physical switch or a
control panel.
a. Right-click the network icon in the system tray, and, from the pop-up menu, select Open Network and
Sharing Center.
b. From the left panel, select Change adapter settings.
c. Right-click Wireless connection, and choose Enable, if it is disabled.
d. Check for a physical switch for the wireless radio, and move it to the on position.
e. If no physical switch exists, check for a vendor-specific wireless assistant by typing wireless in the
Start menu’s quick search field.
f. After you verify the wireless card is both enabled and on, connect to the wireless network.
8. Plug the AC adapter into the notebook, and completely charge the battery.
9. Place the notebook on a desk, away from AC vents, in a windowless office.
10. While running the test, use a Digi Watchport sensor and the Watchport Manager to monitor ambient
temperature.
Measuring surface temperature of the idle notebook with a browser open
1. Power the computer on.
2. Launch Internet Explorer, and browse to www.msn.com.
3. Launch a second instance of Internet Explorer, and browse to www.yahoo.com.
4. Allow the notebook to sit idle for 2 hours, with both browser windows open.
®
5. After 2 hours, take an image of the notebook with a FLIR i7 thermal imaging camera, and measure the
temperature of the palm rests, touchpad, keyboard, fan outlet area, and the underside surface with a
surface temperature probe. (See Appendix B for details.)
6. Power the computer off, and allow it to return to room temperature.
Measuring surface temperature of the notebook after playing a local video file with a browser open
This test requires a wireless network connection, a browser, and a Digi Watchport sensor to ensure a consistent
o
o
ambient temperature between 24 C and 26 C.
1. Power the computer on.
2. Launch Internet Explorer, and browse to www.msn.com.
3. Launch a second instance of Internet Explorer, and browse to www.yahoo.com.
4. Open an .MP4 file with Windows Media Center, and allow the notebook to play the video for 2 hours with
both browser windows open.
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5. After 2 hours, take an image of the notebook with a FLIR i7 thermal imaging camera, and measure the
temperature of the palm rests, touchpad, keyboard, fan outlet area, and the underside surface with a
surface temperature probe. (See Appendix B for details.)
6. Power the computer off, and allow it to return to room temperature.
Measuring surface temperature of the notebook after running the GIMPS Prime95 torture test with a
browser open
This test requires a wireless network connection, a browser, and a Digi Watchport sensor to ensure a consistent
o
o
ambient temperature between 24 C and 26 C.
1. Power the computer on.
2. Launch Internet Explorer, and browse to www.msn.com.
3. Launch a second instance of Internet Explorer, and browse to www.yahoo.com.
4. Launch Prime95.
5. From the Options menu item, select Torture test.
6. Select In-place FFTs, and change the Number of torture test threads to 1.
7. Allow the notebook to run the torture test for 2 hours with both browser windows open.
8. After 2 hours, take an image of the notebook with a FLIR i7 thermal imaging camera, and measure the
temperature of the palm rests, touchpad, keyboard, fan outlet area, and the underside surface with a
surface temperature probe. (See Appendix B for details.)
9. Power the computer off, and allow it to return to room temperature.
Measuring surface temperature of the notebook after running Futuremark’s 3DMark06 with a browser
open
This test requires a wireless network connection, a browser, and a Digi Watchport sensor to ensure a consistent
o
o
ambient temperature between 24 C and 26 C.
1. Power the computer on.
2. Launch Internet Explorer, and browse to www.msn.com.
3. Launch a second instance of Internet Explorer, and browse to www.yahoo.com.
4. Launch 3DMark06.
5. Click the Change button in the Settings section of the benchmark.
6. Select Loop all selected tests, and click OK.
7. Allow the notebook to run 3DMark06 for 2 hours with both browser windows open.
8. After 2 hours, take an image of the notebook with a FLIR i7 thermal imaging camera, and measure the
temperature of the palm rests, touchpad, keyboard, fan outlet area, and the underside surface with a
surface temperature probe. (See Appendix B for details.)
9. Power the computer off, and allow it to return to room temperature.
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Appendix A – Complete test results
Figure 14 presents the complete Futuremark PCMark Vantage 1.0.2.0, 3DMark06 1.2.0, 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2,
and MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007 test results for both test systems. Higher scores are better. For BAPCo
MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007, we conducted one conditioning run. We then conducted three official runs.
For the remaining benchmarks, we conducted three runs.
Test
Futuremark PCMark Vantage 1.0.2.0
PCMark Suite - Run 1
PCMark Suite - Run 2
PCMark Suite - Run 3
Memories Suite - Run 1
Memories Suite - Run 2
Memories Suite - Run 3
TV and Movies Suite - Run 1
TV and Movies Suite - Run 2
TV and Movies Suite - Run 3
Gaming Suite - Run 1
Gaming Suite - Run 2
Gaming Suite - Run 3
Music Suite - Run 1
Music Suite - Run 2
Music Suite - Run 3
Communication Suite - Run 1
Communication Suite - Run 2
Communication Suite - Run 3
Productivity Suite - Run 1
Productivity Suite - Run 2
Productivity Suite - Run 3
HDD Test Suite - Run 1
HDD Test Suite - Run 2
HDD Test Suite - Run 3
Futuremark 3DMark06 1.2.0
3D Mark Score - Run 1
SM2.0 Score - Run 1
HDR/SM3.0 Score - Run 1
CPU Score - Run 1
3D Mark Score - Run 2
SM2.0 Score - Run 2
HDR/SM3.0 Score - Run 2
CPU Score - Run 2
3D Mark Score - Run 3
SM2.0 Score - Run 3
HDR/SM3.0 Score - Run 3
CPU Score - Run 3
Futuremark 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2 Performance Level
3DMark Score - Run 1
GPU Score - Run 1
CPU Score - Run 1
Acer Aspire TimelineX
4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
5,790
5,898
5,798
4,127
4,072
4,045
3,678
3,681
3,646
5,115
4,946
5,140
5,554
5,529
5,303
4,758
4,594
4,602
4,562
4,587
4,583
3,339
3,324
3,272
5,687
5,674
5,691
3,185
3,143
3,186
3,694
3,701
3,575
3,311
3,309
3,306
6,112
6,010
6,256
4,796
4,786
4,757
5,126
5,141
5,180
4,190
4,133
4,155
7,500
2,714
3,364
2,798
7,498
2,712
3,364
2,798
7,497
2,714
3,362
2,794
3,401
1,287
1,221
2,612
3,399
1,287
1,222
2,590
3,404
1,286
1,225
2,602
3,474
2,944
7,566
1,029
800
7,346
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Acer Aspire TimelineX
4820TG
3D Mark Score - Run 2
3,465
GPU Score - Run 2
2,939
CPU Score - Run 2
7,485
3D Mark Score - Run 3
3,466
GPU Score - Run 3
2,936
CPU Score - Run 3
7,561
Futuremark 3DMark Vantage 1.0.2 Performance Level with Post Processing disabled
GPU Score - Run 1
9,366
GPU Score - Run 2
9,338
GPU Score - Run 3
9,331
BAPCo MobileMark 2007 Productivity 2007
MobileMark 2007 - Productivity 2007 - Performance
217
Qualification score - Run 1
MobileMark 2007 - Productivity 2007 - Performance
216
Qualification score - Run 2
MobileMark 2007 - Productivity 2007 - Performance
217
Qualification score - Run 3
MobileMark 2007 - Productivity 2007 - Battery Life
512
score (minutes) - Run 1
MobileMark 2007 - Productivity 2007 - Battery Life
502
score (minutes) - Run 2
MobileMark 2007 - Productivity 2007 - Battery Life
502
score (minutes) - Run 3
Test
ASUS U45Jc
1,035
804
7,404
1,031
801
7,396
3,011
2,993
3,020
218
226
227
529
545
543
Figure 14: Complete benchmark scores for the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and ASUS U45Jc notebook systems we tested.
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Appendix B – Schematic of the notebook for temperature
readings
Figure 15 presents a schematic of the notebook systems that shows the points where we measured the surface
temperature. For underside surface temperature, we present the highest temperature found on the underside of
each notebook.
Top View
Panel
B face
Hinge/Strip cover
Fan outlet area
Keyboard
Keyboard cover rest
0.5Y
0.5Y
Y
Touch pad
0.5X
Palm rest area
Point A
0.5X
Point B
X
Figure 15: Points where we measured the surface temperature on the notebook.
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Appendix C – Test system configuration information
Figure 16 provides detailed configuration information about the test system.
System
General
Number of processor
packages
Number of cores per
processor
Number of hardware
threads per core
System power
management policy
Processor power-saving
option
System dimensions
(inches)
System weight
CPU
Vendor
Name
Model number
Stepping
Socket type and number
of pins
Core frequency (GHz)
Bus frequency
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache
Platform
Vendor
Motherboard model
number
Motherboard chipset
BIOS name and version
Memory module(s)
Vendor and model
number
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
1
1
2
2
4
4
Balanced
Power4 Gear Entertainment
®
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology
Length: 13-1/2
Width: 9-5/8
Height when closed: 1 front, 1-3/16
middle, 1-1/4 back
Height when open: 3/4 front, 7/8 middle,
9-7/8 back
4 lbs. 9 oz.
Length: 13-1/4
Width: 9-5/8
Height when closed: 1-3/32 front, 1-3/16
middle, 1-1/4 back
Height when open: 7/8 front, 15/16
middle, 10 back
4 lbs. 11 oz.
Intel
Core i5
450M
K0
Intel
Core i5
450M
K0
Socket 1156 LGA
Socket 1156 LGA
2.40
4.8 GT/s (DMI)
32 KB + 32 KB (per core)
256 KB + 256 KB (per core)
3 MB (shared)
2.40
4.8 GT/s (DMI)
32 KB + 32 KB (per core)
256 KB + 256 KB (per core)
3 MB (shared)
Acer
ASUS
ZQ1B
U45JC
Intel HM55
Intel HM55
American Megatrends U45JC.203
(05/10/2010)
Insyde v1.15 (06/04/2010)
Samsung M471B5673FH0-CH9
Kingston ASU1333D3S9DR8/2G
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System
Type
Speed (MHz)
Speed running in the
system (MHz)
Timing/Latency (tCLtRCD-tRP-tRASmin)
Size (MB)
Number of memory
module(s)
Chip organization
(single-sided/doublesided)
Channel (single/dual)
Hard disk
Vendor and model
number
Number of disks in
system
Size (GB)
Buffer size (MB)
RPM
Type
Controller
Driver
Operating system
Name
Build number
Service Pack
File system
Kernel
Language
Microsoft DirectX
version
Graphics 1
Vendor and model
number
Type
Chipset
BIOS version
Total available graphics
memory (MB)
Dedicated video
memory (MB)
System video memory
(MB)
Shared system memory
(MB)
Resolution
Driver
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
PC3-10600
1,333
PC3-10600
1,333
1,066
1,100
7-7-7-20
7-7-7-20
2,048
2,048
1 x 2 GB
1 x 2 GB
Double-sided
Double-sided
Single
Single
Western Digital WD5000BEVT-22A0RT0
Seagate ST9500420AS
1
1
500
8
5,400
SATA-300
Intel 5 Series SATA AHCI Controller
Intel 9.6.0.1014 (03/03/2010)
500
16
7,200
SATA-300
Intel 5 Series SATA AHCI Controller
Intel 9.5.6.1001 (12/17/2009)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
7600
N/A
NTFS
ACPI x64-based PC
English
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
7,600
N/A
NTFS
ACPI x64-based PC
English
11
11
ATI™ Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650
NVIDIA GeForce 310M
Discrete
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650
BR34809.010
Discrete
GeForce 310M
70.18.5D.00.11
1,659
1,718
1,024
1,024
0
0
635
694
1,366 x 768 x 32-bit
ATI 8.713.3.3000 (04/20/2010)
1,366 x 768 x 32-bit
NVIDIA 8.16.11.8964 (03/27/2010)
®
®
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
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System
Graphics 2
Vendor and model
number
Type
Chipset
BIOS version
Total available graphics
memory (MB)
Dedicated video
memory (MB)
System video memory
(MB)
Shared system memory
(MB)
Resolution
Driver
Sound card/subsystem
Vendor and model
number
Driver
Ethernet
Vendor and model
number
Driver
Wireless
Vendor and model
number
Driver
Modem
Vendor and model
number
Driver
Optical drive(s)
Vendor and model
number
Type
USB ports
Number
Type
Other
IEEE 1394 ports
Number
Monitor
LCD type
Screen size (inches)
Refresh rate (Hz)
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
Intel HD Graphics
Intel HD Graphics
Integrated
Intel HD Graphics
2014.0
Integrated
Intel HD Graphics
1930.0
763
758
128
64
0
0
635
694
1,366 x 768 x 32-bit
ATI 8.713.3.3000 (04/20/2010)
1,366 x 768 x 32-bit
Intel 8.15.10.2119 (04/21/2010)
Realtek High Definition Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio
Realtek 6.0.1.6096 (04/23/2010)
Realtek 6.0.1.6098 (04/27/2010)
®
Atheros AR8151 PCI-E Gigabit
Atheros AR8131 PCI-E Gigabit
Atheros 1.0.0.23 (12/22/2009)
Atheros 1.0.0.27 (03/04/2010)
®
Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter
Atheros AR9285 Wireless
Broadcom 5.60.350.6 (03/22/2010)
Atheros 8.0.0.316 (03/02/2010)
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
TSSTcorp TS-U633F
LG GGU10N
DVD-RW
DVD-RW
4
2.0
DisplayPort, Media card reader
3
2.0
DisplayPort, Media card reader
0
0
HD LED LCD
14.0
60
HD LED LCD
14.0
60
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
22
System
Battery
Type
Size (length x width x
height)
Rated capacity
Weight (oz.)
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG
ASUS U45Jc
Acer AS10B5E lithium-ion
ASUS A42-UL50 lithium-ion
10-5/8” x 2” x 7/8”
10-3/4” x 2” x 1-1/8”
6200 mAh x 10.8V (67Wh)
11
5800 mAh x 14.4V (84Wh)
14
Figure 16: Configuration information for the test notebooks.
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
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About Principled Technologies
We provide industry-leading technology assessment and fact-based marketing services. We bring to every
assignment extensive experience with and expertise in all aspects of technology testing and analysis, from
researching new technologies, to developing new methodologies, to testing with existing and new tools.
When the assessment is complete, we know how to present the results to a broad range of target audiences. We
provide our clients with the materials they need, from market-focused data to use in their own collateral to custom
sales aids, such as test reports, performance assessments, and white papers. Every document reflects the results
of our trusted independent analysis.
We provide customized services that focus on our clients’ individual requirements. Whether the technology
involves hardware, software, Web sites, or services, we offer the experience, expertise, and tools to help you
assess how it will fare against its competition, its performance, whether it’s ready to go to market, and its quality
and reliability.
Our founders, Mark L. Van Name and Bill Catchings, have worked together in technology assessment for over 20
years. As journalists, they published over a thousand articles on a wide array of technology subjects. They
created and led the Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation, which developed such industry-standard benchmarks as Ziff
Davis Media’s Winstone and WebBench. They founded and led eTesting Labs, and after the acquisition of that
company by Lionbridge Technologies were the head and CTO of VeriTest.
Principled Technologies, Inc.
1007 Slater Road, Suite 300
Durham, NC 27703
www.principledtechnologies.com
[email protected]
Principled Technologies is a registered trademark of Principled Technologies, Inc.
All other product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Disclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of Liability:
PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. HAS MADE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY AND VALIDITY OF ITS
TESTING, HOWEVER, PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED, RELATING TO THE TEST RESULTS AND ANALYSIS, THEIR ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR QUALITY, INCLUDING
ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ALL PERSONS OR ENTITIES RELYING ON THE
RESULTS OF ANY TESTING DO SO AT THEIR OWN RISK, AND AGREE THAT PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC., ITS
EMPLOYEES AND ITS SUBCONTRACTORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FROM ANY CLAIM OF LOSS OR DAMAGE
ON ACCOUNT OF ANY ALLEGED ERROR OR DEFECT IN ANY TESTING PROCEDURE OR RESULT.
IN NO EVENT SHALL PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH ITS TESTING, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
IN NO EVENT SHALL PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.’S LIABILITY, INCLUDING FOR DIRECT DAMAGES, EXCEED THE
AMOUNTS PAID IN CONNECTION WITH PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.’S TESTING. CUSTOMER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE
REMEDIES ARE AS SET FORTH HEREIN.
Principled Technologies, Inc.: User experience: Performance, battery life, and surface temperature of
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG vs. ASUS U45Jc
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